Our first day was mostly a long painful exercise in frustration. I decided to go against tradition and drive the bus into down, having plugged the address to the convention centre into GPS (hotspot needed to do some bookings via internet). We found a McDonalds close to the centre ... good because most McDonalds in Europe include T-mobile hotspots.
Frustration 1 was our account was not recognized (I paid for 30 days connection). Frustration 2 was no pay phone to call help desk at McDonalds. Frustration 3 was no pay phone at convention centre. Frustration 4 was "shopping centre" we plugged into GPS ended up being an expressway service centre ... I returned to the camp really grumpy (yes me ... grumpy). Frustration 5 was the internet provider at camp merrily taking my credit card info ... then not connecting me. Frustration 6 was throwing in the towel, then grabbing it and stalking off to the spa (yes this park had a indoor pool, sauna, steam room, tanning bed and whirlpool) ... only to find the doors locked (closed early). And then the beer I bought was warm and, as it turned out, "weiss bier" which translates to "wheat beer" ... you know the kind you can stick a fork in and it remains upright.
Fortunately the next day we found a museum called 1940-45 which gave us a good lesson on local history ... this is the place of WWII 'Operation Market Garden" ... A bridge too far etc. ... we visited the town and even met some Poles who were at the memorial adjacent to the famous bridge with us ... honouring their forefathers who were instrumental in providing an escape route for the some of the beleaguered troops when the battle was lost to the SS Panzer division in Sept. 1944.
Learning about the troubles of the locals and their (eventual) liberators in '44-'45, totally wiped the frustrations of my day prior into oblivion.
The sun was shining, the markets were full and we live in blessed times because of brave souls who "went over" to right the world's wrong.
BOSgone
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